CJ Group, a South Korean conglomerate which operates the largest theater chain in Asia, is in the process of finalising a deal to set up 200 4D cinemas in the US over the next five years, according to a report from the L.A. Times.
4D takes the viewing experience a step further, with moving seats, nozzles that emit water, mist, bubbles and even smells that are supposed to draw viewers further into the movie. Over 1,000 scents are apparently available and these cover the smell spectrum from roses to burning rubber. Large fans and strobe lights are also installed to simulate certain weather conditions and explosions.
Theodore Kim, CEO for the Los Angeles lab of CJ 4DPlex, said “Theaters need to find new ways to bring people back to the multiplex and away from their couches, and this is one way of doing that.”
4D cinema has apparently been very popular in Asia since the concept launched in 2009 but this is by no means the first time that filmmakers have experimented with bringing other senses into play. Smell-O-Vision was introduced into American theaters in the 1960s for the film Scent of Mystery.
Source/Image: L.A. Times via DigiTimes